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 quite clean; when the blood was gone off from one side it came again on the other.

Blue Beard returned from his journey the same evening, and said. “he had received letters upon the road, informing him, that the affair he went about was ended to his advantage.” His wife did all she could to convince him she was extremely glad of his speedy return. Next morning he asked for the keys, which she gave him, but with such a trembling hand that he easily guessed what had happened. “What, said he, is not the key of my closet among the rest?” “I must certainly, answered she, have left it upon the table.” “Fail not, said Blue Beard, to bring it me presently.”

After several goings backwards and forwards, she was forced to bring him the key, Blue Beard, having very attentively considered it, said to his wife, “How comes this blood upon the key?” “I do not know,” cried the poor woman, paler than death. “You do know, replied Blue Beard, I very well know, you was resolved to go into the closet, was you not? Mighty well, Madam; you shall go in, and take your place among the ladies you saw there.”

Upon this she threw herself at her husband’s feet, and begged his pardon, with all the signs of a true repentance, and that she should never more be disobedient. She would have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she, but Blue Beard had a heart harder than any rock! “You must die, madam, said he, and that presently” “Since I must die, answered she, (looking on him with her eyes all bathed in tears,) give me some little time to say my prayers.” “I give, replied Blue Beard, half a quarter of an hour, but not one moment longer.”

When she was alone she called cut to her sister,